Letter from Timothy Bigelow to Stephen Salisbury, October 7 & 14, 1777
The following transcription is a letter from Timothy Bigelow in Stillwater and Saratoga, New York, to Stephen Salisbury in Worcester, Massachusetts, dated October 7 and 14, 1777. Spelling and punctuation (including misspellings) have been retained from the original letters. Editorial additions and explanations are given in brackets. Words crossed out by Timothy are written with strikethroughs. This transcription can also be downloaded as a PDF.
1777
Camp at Stillwater Oct.r 7th
Sir
I arrived in Camp last Saturday nothing of importance has turned up since except a small skirmish that happend yesterday between the our Piquet guard and the enimies when the latter was drove to their lines we had one man Mortally wounded three other slightly there is great desertions from the enimy not less than 8 or 10 for many days back mostly Germans, The Enemy are strongly fortifying their Camp
I am much pleased at finding such a perfect union among the different Corps of officers, it is the happiest camp I ever was in, Officers & soldiers put the greatest confidence in the General imaginable his treatment of the officers & soldiers is quit opposet to that of Schuyler’s.
I should not have wrote to you before somthing of more importance to communicate had it not been to ask the favour to buy some brown sugar
Saratoga Oct.r 14th 1777
Since I wrote the above we have almost been in one continual action with the enimy but not in very close order since the 7th instant, (the particulars of which I would refere you to Mr Lincoln,) but in close pursute , we are not all round them it & it is common to have 30 – 40 – or 50 deserters & prisoners come in for several days past the [Cannadeary?] we are told by the deserters have mutinead & Decline having any thing futher to do in the matter & was promised by the General that they shoud go home in a few days, they lost Major General Frazer in the action of the 7th an officer of approved merit who commanded the light troops in whome they put the greatest confidence & give it as one reason we took the field, the early lose of that officer, upon the whol[e] I hardly can reallize that the great Burgoyn[e] is reduced to such a Destressed situation as you may depend he is at present. how the scene may change I cannot fully determin[e], but from the present situation of things I expect to give you soon a futher good account
what I wrote respecting sugar the other day I have not had time to think of since would only inform you that it is with great difficulty we can git any such thing hear so that if you can spare me a few pounds when my baggage is brought from Worcester it would be very acceptable in this place, Remember my love to Mrs Bigelow & Children
[Bleive?] me sir to be with much esteem your friend
Timo. Bigelo